


Petals of Love

by nychus



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Getting Together, Hanahaki Disease, Ignoct New Years Gift Exchange, M/M, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:27:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28490142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nychus/pseuds/nychus
Summary: Ignis Scientia stood just in the door of his apartment when he read the final line of the treaty:Prince Noctis will wed Oracle and Princess of Tenebrae, Lady Lunafreya. He stared at it, reading it over and over again until he got a tickle in his throat. He coughed into his handkerchief, which held a single blue petal in it when was removed from his mouth.
Relationships: Noctis Lucis Caelum/Ignis Scientia
Comments: 8
Kudos: 85
Collections: Ignoct New Years Gift Exchange 2020





	Petals of Love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Cassidy_OMalley](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cassidy_OMalley/gifts).



> For Jewishsunshine-cats on Tumblr. I hope you enjoy this!
> 
> I've never written Hanahaki Disease before, and it was a lot of fun to play around with it. Thank you! Happy New Year!!

One of the first things that most young Tenebraeans learn is how to guard their hearts. Hanahaki disease was more common in their genetics than in any other country on Eos. Love could be dangerous. Not brotherly love or familial love but love leaning towards the concept of eros. A passionate, desired love. One that would be the basis for a long and happy marriage. If you left your heart unguarded and fell for someone who did not love you in return, you had little choice but to waste away. Surgeries could be done, but they weren’t always successful. The longer one tried to pretend nothing was wrong or that their object of affection just didn’t realize they loved them yet, the harder it was to extract the growing roots from the lungs.

Almost every Tenebraean had someone in their family that had died of the disease. Ignis was young when he witnessed an older cousin succumb to it. The visual forever etched into his mind as he watched her cough up petals and blood. It was one of his first memories.

His family hoped that the Lucian influence in his blood would keep him safe from the disease. A disease no one could quite explain. There was clearly something with genetics, since Tenebrae was susceptible, but researchers could find no evidence in the DNA to suggest what exactly. Even the mechanics were ill understood. If it were a matter of breathing in a deadly spore, that would be one thing but every person coughed up different, unrelated flowers. Although baffled, researchers refused to give up trying to find a cure or vaccine or anything that could help.

Growing up in Lucis, Ignis dealt with how the outside world viewed the disease. It was extraordinarily rare among the elites of Insomnia and Ignis heard more than one young noblewoman romanticize the idea; as if all one had to do was cough up petals and true love would work it out. He’d thought about telling them that it was rare for the disease to get cured due to ‘true love’ but ultimately decided he didn’t want to talk about the horrors.

Even with the Lucian borne Scientia blood running through him, Ignis took all the precautions taught to Tenebraean youth. He used all the tips and tricks to remain steadfast and firm, walling off his heart to anything more than friendship. Funny how it also helped him prepare to be the prince’s adviser as advisers were always more effective if emotions didn’t get in the way. He didn’t care that others gave him odd looks or called him names behind his back. He had a job to do and a life to live and he was doing so on his terms.

Had he dwelled on how well he was protecting himself, he would have been pleased. He didn’t have time to think about it though, which was probably just as well. Life was good, things were going smoothly as Noctis prepared for his eventual ascension while his closest friends trained to protect him.

It was only when the Niflheim chancellor came on behalf of the emperor to propose a treaty did things take a turn. That night memos went out to all the higher ups of the Citadel so that they would know before the general public got the news in the morning. The memo outlined the terms of a peace treaty, one skewed unfairly towards Niflheim.

Ignis Scientia stood just in the door of his apartment when he read the final line: _Prince Noctis will wed Oracle and Princess of Tenebrae, Lady Lunafreya_. He stared at it, reading it over and over again until he got a tickle in his throat. He coughed into his handkerchief, which held a single blue petal in it when was removed from his mouth.

Ignis then uttered a word he found crude and archaic, but no other word seemed to fit the situation so succinctly.

“Fuck.”

~*~*~*~*~

The plan had been to head to Tenebrae after the wedding. The treaty would have been signed and the deal fully agreed to with the wedding. There should have been no issues with Ignis saying he was going to take the opportunity to see his parents and he’d be back in a month. Noctis and Lunafreya would be doing newlywed things anyway, he wouldn’t be needed. He could get the surgery, recover, and be home. No problem.

Except for the fact the world went to hell. Insomnia was in ruins, the king was dead, and there was nothing else to do but bide their time until they could get to Altissia for Noctis to get the blessing of Leviathan and meet up with Lunafreya.

It was easy enough to hide at first. A polite cough here or there where the single petal could come directly into his hand to dispose of later. Ignis felt he was fortunate that the disease didn’t progress quickly. It was weeks before the coughing became more of a nuisance; yet he was still able to conceal the evidence easily.

Of course, Ignis knew he couldn’t hide it forever. When someone asked if he was okay, he could cite allergies or dust or just a slight tickle in his throat as the culprit. Noctis and Prompto seemed okay with the explanations but Gladio started becoming suspicious at the increased frequency.

“I’m fine, Gladio,” Ignis insisted.

“I don’t think you are.”

Ignis rolled his eyes, “Yes, please tell me exactly how I’m feeling as you’ve clearly got a better idea than I do.”

“Iggy…”

“I’m fine,” he responded with such force that Gladio didn’t bring the topic up for several days.

Unfortunately, they got caught in a sandstorm just outside of Longwythe during a hunt. The group became separated as they tried to find cover. Ignis and Gladio managed to duck into a cave for protection. They both entered coughing, but only Ignis coughed up flower petals. And blood. The blood was new. He hoped it was just due to the violence of the coughing fit and not an increase of symptoms.

“Ignis,” Gladio said in a tone somewhere between ‘I knew it’ and ‘oh gods, what do I do?’ He said nothing more while Ignis collected himself. Ignis could feel himself being watched as he stared down at the small pile of petals that had formed at his feet.

“When did this start?” Gladio asked. When Ignis didn’t answer, he asked again, “When did this start? Ignis!”

“Before we left,” Ignis sighed, kicking dirt over the petals and blood. “I was going to go to Tenebrae after the wedding to get it removed.”

“Can we find someone here to remove it? In Lestallum maybe?”

“I would not trust anyone in Lucis to perform the surgery. The doctors in Tenebrae have long been the most adept at it and even then there’s no guarantee it’ll succeed.”

For several moments, the only sound they heard was from the blowing wind and knocking of sand particles from the sandstorm raging outside their little cave.

“You have to tell him,” Gladio finally said.

“No.”

“He deserves to know! Iggy, you are his oldest friend. His adviser! You have to let him know. Give him a chance to prepare.”

“If I tell him now, he’ll worry about me and not what he needs to be doing. There is nothing to be done and so I don’t see the point of causing him unneeded stress when there are more important things to worry about.”

The glare that Gladio leveled on him might have killed a lesser man, but Ignis just returned it.

“I will tell him when I deem it appropriate. You cannot tell him for me. Promise me, Gladio.”

A tense moment passed between them where Ignis was sure Gladio would refuse, but he eventually agreed, albeit reluctantly.

They waited out the rest of the sandstorm in stony silence, each glad to have the other two back to lighten the mood.

~*~*~*~*~

They pulled into the Taelpar Rest Area just as the sun was going down. They were all tired and hungry and so while Ignis filled up the Regalia’s tank, Gladio went to the Three Z’s to rent a room while Noctis and Prompto headed towards the Crow’s Nest to order everyone dinner. Greasy diner food was just what they needed after the day they had; and though they were tired, they were cheerful and looking forward to a real bed to sleep in that night.

They grabbed their bags as they walked between diner and motel. Prompto was calling dibs on shower which caused an argument with Noctis. It was a playful argument with no bite behind the words, but Gladio shut it down quickly.

“You can both shower first,” he said as he dug out keys from his pocket. “I took the liberty to get two rooms, allow us to spread out a bit tonight. You’re with me, blondie.”

“Woo!” Prompto exclaimed with a fist pump. “I cannot wait to be clean!”

Ignis stared at Gladio as he was handed his key.

“Don’t look at me like that. We have the funds and it’s fine to indulge every once in a while.”

Somehow, Ignis thought this was less about indulgence and more about trying to force Ignis into telling Noctis about the disease. It’d been a couple of weeks since the sandstorm and, thankfully, the disease hadn’t progressed anymore. Even the bits of blood were still infrequent.

“I know you hate spending extra gil,” Noctis said half an hour later as he exited the shower, “but I am glad Gladio sprung for two rooms. I am looking forward to having my own bed tonight.”

All Ignis could do was chuckle as he watched Noctis fall gracelessly onto the hotel bed and spread his limbs out in all directions. Some luxuries were worth it, Ignis decided as he watched the smile on Noctis’s face. With any luck, the prince would be fast asleep by the time Ignis got out of the shower and the night could pass in peace.

The shower felt amazing and Ignis decided to stay in a little longer than he usually would. The last few bath opportunities they had had were either cramped caravan showers where you’d bump into something even when standing still or whatever clean-ish water they could find out in the wilds. Ignis really hated to admit that Gladio was right and they needed the space. They would all be rejuvenated tomorrow in a way they usually aren’t.

Stepping out, Ignis toweled off and pulled his pajama bottoms on before starting to brush his teeth. He had just rinsed and was turning to exit the bathroom when he heard Noctis say something. Then a bark. A bark could only mean that Umbra had paid him a visit, which would also mean that Noctis was receiving some word from Lunafreya.

He _hated_ how much he hated Lunafreya. She was the oracle and a dear friend of Noctis. There was never any reason to think anything but good and kind things about her, but the jealousy that raged at the thought of their wedding…that was the worst feeling and the biggest trigger for coughing fits. Ignis had started hypothesizing that the power of denial was what kept everything at bay. Maybe there was no guarding your heart. Maybe the disease only manifested when the possibility was gone. It couldn’t be a coincidence that Ignis’s affliction started the moment he’d lost any chance with Noctis. Just as it couldn’t be coincidence that the coughing didn’t start in earnest until there was mention of Altissia or Lunafreya.

The coughing started. Light at first, but it quickly devolved into something akin to what he’d experienced during the sandstorm. He managed to get to the toilet and it just got worse. He was coughing violently. Petals were coming out in clumps and they were covered in blood. He couldn’t stop it. Ignis was fighting for breath as he felt like he was trying to cough up his lungs. He was vaguely aware of Noctis calling his name and even coming into the bathroom, but that could have been a hallucination for all he knew.

After what felt like hours, he finally felt the peaceful bliss of nothingness.

~*~*~*~*~

Ignis groaned as he came back to consciousness and he immediately regretted it. His throat hurt something fierce, which shouldn’t be too surprising considering the amount of petals he’d coughed up.

“I’ll make you some tea,” Noctis’s voice said. It was somewhere to Ignis’s left. He opened his eyes to see Noctis plug in the kettle they kept for fast water boiling. He waited while Noctis prepared a mug, pouring copious amounts of honey into it. Generally, Ignis didn’t like honey in his tea, but he knew it would be good for his throat.

When Noctis turned to bring Ignis the mug, Ignis pushed himself up so that he was sitting up against the headboard. He accepted the mug graciously and took a long, slow sip of its contents. He already felt much better.

“Gladio helped get you into bed while Prompto ran out to get tea and honey,” Noctis explained as if Ignis had asked. “You’ve been out for about an hour.”

“Thank you,” he whispered, not trusting his voice to make any louder sound.

“I gathered from Gladio’s reaction, he knew. Why did he know and not me?”

The hurt coming from Noctis was almost palpable and it made Ignis even more miserable than he already was. He took a few more sips of tea before saying anything.

“Gladio only found out because the sandstorm we had been caught in aggravated my lungs and I had a coughing fit.” Ignis then went on to tell Noctis all he had told Gladio: when it started, what his initial plans were, why he didn’t tell Noctis, and that he had made Gladio swear to not say anything.

“I wish you had told me,” Noctis said. He was pouting and rightfully so. Ignis knew he didn’t handle this the way he should have but he truthfully didn’t know how he could have handled it any better. “I had hoped you wouldn’t have the disease, even though it’s common in Tenebrae.”

Ignis looked up at Noctis, curious to know what he knew about it. Hanahaki was something most Lucians learn about in passing, but Noctis seemed to have some familiarity with it.

“Luna told me about it,” Noctis answered his unasked question.

 _Luna, of course it would be Luna_ , Ignis’s jealous mind sneered. He coughed, aggravating his already scratchy throat. A couple of petals came out, solidifying Ignis’s theory that jealousy probably had a big hand in how the disease expressed itself.

“Just…just promise me something,” Noctis said, catching Ignis’s eye and holding it in his glare. “Promise it’s not me.”

Ignis’s eyes widened and his mouth opened, but no sound came out.

“I know it’s stupid and conceited for me to think it could possibly be me, but I just need to know it’s not. I would hate not knowing; always wondering if I could have saved you. I’d asked Luna, back in high school, what I should do. How should I handle the feelings I had for you and how I didn’t think you had any interest in relationships. She explained the disease to me then; how it affects Tenebraens and what they do guard against it. She never told me not to say something, just to be prepared for your answer given the circumstances.

“I thought about it, for a long time I thought about it. Ultimately, I decided not to say anything. I didn’t want to make things awkward if you didn’t feel the same way. Or worse, you did but then we weren’t allowed to be together due to politics. I didn’t know if that would have any effect on the progressing the disease. I don’t want to lose you, Ignis, but please, just promise it’s not me.”

A heavy silence fell on the room. Ignis was trying to find his words and he was sure Noctis was collapsing under the weight of what he’d just confessed.

“The night we learned of your engagement.”

“What?” Noctis asked.

“That was the first time I coughed up a petal. I’d lost you and no amount of denial or hope could change that. The possibility was gone and the disease had no reason to stay dormant. I think it may be the same reason that it hasn’t progressed as quickly. Altissia has been delayed and the wedding is tentatively canceled. The coughing only got worse when you spoke of Lunafreya and I believe it was because of jealousy and the potential of her taking you away. I hate myself for it, but the thought of the princess makes my blood boil green.”

A few seconds of silence, and then, “So it is me.”

Ignis barely got out a hesitant nod before Noctis was quickly next to him on the bed, carefully removing the hot mug from Ignis’s hands, and then pulling him into a kiss. It felt all too fast and much too slow at the same time. The emotions flowing through Ignis were a mixed bag of happiness, relief, confusion, and disbelief. If Noctis picked up on any of that, his response was to just keep encouraging Ignis to kiss back. 

It was amazing and nerve-racking. Ignis wished it would never end, but it seemed that thought insisted on ending it. Once again, Ignis started coughing. It was violent, with Ignis throwing Noctis off of him so that he could put his feet on the floor. His initial instinct was to get to the bathroom, but it was too bad for him to stand up. He was vaguely aware of Noctis next to him panicking. That wasn’t useful, but when he felt Noctis’s hand on his back, rubbing it gently, that seemed to calm him.

After what felt like eternity, but was likely just a few excruciating seconds, Ignis coughed so violently that something came out of his lungs, hitting the floor with a thud. The coughing stopped, almost instantly. Ignis was left trying to catch his breath while Noctis continued to rub his back in soothing motions and whispering positive things into Ignis’s ear.

When he felt stable enough, Ignis grabbed his mug and finished the drink to sooth his aching throat. Exhausted, he lay back down. He couldn’t keep his eyes open if he wanted to. He mumbled what he hoped was an apology to Noctis before passing out for the second time that day.

~*~*~*~*~

The next time he woke, he could feel Noctis sitting on the bed with him. Without opening his eyes, he blindly reached for him, searching for his hand. Soon Noctis had it.

“How are you feeling?” Noctis asked, squeezing his hand.

“Exhausted,” was the answer. It took some effort, but Ignis managed to open his eyes. Noctis was watching him, worry etched across his face. All Ignis could see was the beautiful young man who he had fallen for and who had confessed their feelings were mutual.

“You look better,” Noctis told him. “Maybe the disease progressed so slowly I didn’t notice you were looking ill, but you look better; healthier.”

“Perhaps the disease is gone,” Ignis mused, pulling Noctis’s hand to his lips, kissing the prince’s knuckles. They smiled at each other.

“I think it is,” Noctis said. He leaned over to the side table and picked up something wrapped in tissue. “This is what you coughed up. It looks like a seed.”

It did look like a seed. It was spherical, very hard, and wrinkled a bit like a walnut. There were areas on it that looked as if something had sprouted out of it. Every seed was different just as every flower coughed up was different. This was the seed of his hanahaki disease and now he was free of it.

“We can be together, right?” Noctis asked. “The world is ours to remake and if the people can’t get behind true love, well, that’s their problem. Right? Luna will be happy for us. She’ll refuse the marriage if we’re together. She already worried because she knew my feelings for you. But…you and me? Until the end?”

“You and me,” Ignis said, giving another kiss to Noctis’s knuckles, “always.”


End file.
